A new study about the prevalence of mercury in fish should give consumers food for thought. According to the Biodiversity Research Institute report, “Fish samples from around the world regularly demonstrate mercury concentrations exceeding human health advisory guidelines.” Because both mercury pollution and fish supplies are global — 75 percent of the fish consumed in the U.S. is imported — no one country can solve this widespread problem.

During a previous seven-year study, U.S. Geological Survey scientists found mercury in every single fish they tested — and more than a quarter of the fish had mercury levels that exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety limits for the average fish-eater.

Dr. Jane Hightower, author of “Diagnosis: Mercury,” found that dozens of her patients had high levels of mercury in their bodies, and many showed symptoms of mercury poisoning, including fatigue, depression, difficulty concentrating, and headaches. When her patients stopped eating fish, their symptoms disappeared.

None of us would dream of drinking water tainted by sewage, pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants. So why would anyone risk their health by eating fish that are pulled from this toxic brew? Find out more at www.PETA.org.